In January I went to Peru with Amazon Eco-Tours (Margarita Tours) for 10 days in the Amazon. We were a small group on this trip- myself, a friend of mine, our group leader Matt Cage, and part owner Lorrie Smith. We had a great time and shared some experiences I will never forget. The amazon is an incredible place, and full of herps. The pics are basically in chronological order for my ease of posting them. I did my best with IDs using multiple resources but some things, especially the frogs, were difficult and have changed recently/frequently. If anyone thinks any of my IDs should be changed, please let me know. Sit back and enjoy because here we goI flew from the US nonstop to Lima, spent the night in the airport, and then flew to Iquitos. Iquitos is said to be the largest city inaccessible by car. There are half a million people that live in the city which is a gateway to the Amazon rainforest. This is Matt’s photo from the plane nearing Iquitos because I didn’t get any pics from the plane. Hope he doesn’t mind me using it

The primary mode of transport in Iquitos

We had 2 days to kill in Iquitos before departing for the trip. We visited a butterfly farm and found our first herp of the trip

Osteocephalus planiceps

We secured a car to go road cruising one night outside the city and were able to find a few frogs and 2 snakes. A Helicops angulatus and this 7 foot beastBoa constrictor

Unfortunately he was hit but seemed to be ok and made his way off the road. We all thought he would make it. That was the only species we did not see later in the trip.

The next day we went to the Iquitos Zoo which had some interesting exhibits. Here is a lawsuit waiting to happen if it was in the US. An open concrete vat with large electric eels.

We did not see a single wild turtle the entire time I was in Peru. My guess is that they are over hunted. This one is captive at the zoo.Podocnemis unifilus- Yellow spotted amazon turtle

The zoo had its share of wild herps to be found as well. In addition to a couple dart frogs we lost in the leaf litter, here are some others we found roaming the groundsGonatodes concinatus

Iquana iquana

Scinax rubra found in a bromeliad.

We left Iquitos by speedboat in the am to head to Madre Selva, one of the lodges run by Project Amazonas (the parent organization of Margarita Tours). Madre Selva is on the Rio Orosa about 70 miles from Iquitos as the crow flies. The water was very high when we were there which allowed us to take a shortcut through a side channel. I was very happy we did because we were able to spot this from the boat. Can you tell what it is?

After shouting over the motor noise and some sharp turning we got a little closer

And even closerThat’s right, a Dracaena guinanesis! (Caiman lizard) And a better picture than I was able to get of a captive one at the zoo. This was a species near the top of my want to see list and I got a great picture before we officially arrived at our lodge. A fantastic start for sure.

The sleeping quarters of Madre Selva

We spent the next 5 or so days walking the trails at Madre Selva both day and night with an evening boat cruise and a couple kayak forays mixed in.

Ameerega hahneli

I think I only found these toads perched on leaves.Rhinella margaritifera complex. -Crested Toad/Sharpnosed Toad Does anyone know what is going on with this species group?

Dendropsophus haraldshultzi

Scinax garbei. Very cool frogs that we found with both green and red flash marks.

Rhinella marinus. -Cane/Marine Toad Nice to see these where they belong

The next toads were another species high on my want to see list. Matt led us to an area he commonly finds them and we ended up seeing two of themAtelopus spumarius -Harlequin Toad

These guys were very fast and I never did get a very good photo of oneRanitomeya uakarii?

Oreobates (Ishnocnema) quixensis

I like how this photo turned out:Rhinella sp

There was an almost steady stream of local kids that would paddle up in their dug out canoes with critters for us to see. In return we would give them t-shirts and candy. This is another of Matt’s photos. Good thing dyfs doesn’t operate in Peru-haha

They brought us this guy whom they found swimming across the river. We put him in a tree so he could rapidly escape.

Apparently he didn’t like that tree because we found him the next day crawling across the ground in the middle of camp to go somewhere else. He looks better dried offSomeone said Brown throated sloth

I didn’t spend much time photoing things the locals brought in because I wanted to find my own. I made an exception for the sloth and a couple others:Drymoluber dichrous

Eunectes murinus- Green anaconda

I really wish I would have been able to find one of these myself

Only a face a mother(or herper) could love:Chelus fimbriatus -Mata mata

Ok back to species our group found:Stenocercus fimbriatus- Leaf lizard

Kentropyx pelviceps

Helicops angulatus

Dendropsophus triangulum- found while kayaking through some floating vegetation at night, along with the next one:

Hypsiboas punctatus

Whip Scorpion

I found this on the bottom of my boot when I went to shake it out in the morning. Most likely a stowaway from the night beforeSome kind of flat worm

We saw quite a few of theseHypsiboas lanciformis- Rocket Treefrog

Drepanoides anomalus- Amazon Scarlet snake

Mouse opossum- saw a couple of these little guys during night hikes

Oropendula nest along the Rio Orosa

Gonatodes humeralis

This was flying around our sleeping area one night. At first I thought it was a batGiant moth

Oxyrhopus petola- Calico snake

Plica umbra

Found this crossing a trail at night during a downpourCaecilia gracilis? If anyone can verify or has other thoughts…

In shed in situ Dipsas catesbyi- Snail sucker

Carnivorous katydid

Engystomops (Physalaemus) petersi

Strong flashlights are a must in the tropicsA little closerFour eyed opossum?

I had not realized how big or beautiful these lizards could be until I found my first one. It was spectacularEnyaliodes laticeps

Saw this guy’s eye shine from across a stream from about 50 feet away. Had my friend keep the light on him while I tried to make my way over to it. One of my favorite finds of the tripCorallus hortulanus- Amazon tree boa

Right after that boa we found a few species of cool frogs and I got some photos I am very happy with. All around a very memorable night.Hypsiboas calcarata

Dendropsophus miyatai

I love how this frog was perched. Phyllomedusa vaillantii- Vailant's Monkey frog

These are supposed to be very common, I was only around for the finding of one, which I did not get photos of. This one was brought in by the one of the guides and photoed in campBothrops atrox- Jergon

This was the only caiman we saw while out spotlighting from the boat. But fortunately we were able to catch itCaiman crocodilus- Spectacled Caiman

We actually found this snake with a Phyllomedusa in its mouth. Chironius fuscus

Matt says he regularly sees(or hears) these guys go crashing through the forest. I had to use my ninja like skills to sneak up behind some vegetation and get a photo of this one. (read that “get lucky”)Tupinambis teguixin- Gold tegu

We saw one of these in a small creek behind the camp. Even though it sat floating at the surface in a very picturesque way, no one managed to take a photo before I tried unsuccessfully to catch it. Snake baggers do not make good dip nets. I was kicking myself for missing it for quite awhile but a few days later the locals brought one in. This was one animal I was happy they did since I missed my opportunity with the one we found. So weird!Pipa pipa - Suriname Toad

Anolis bombiceps with the ever present mosquito. In reality the mosquitos weren’t as bad as I thought they were going to be. They were definitely a nuisance, but were manageable.

Saw several of these calling from floating vegetationSpaenorhynchus dorisae- Hatchet faced frog

Chiasmocleis bassleri- Sheep frog

Then it was off too Santa Cruz, another lodge owned by Project Amazonas, this one along the Rio Napo. We stayed in a new building they had just built on the river. The balcony was a great place for relaxing, watching the storms, and birding. As you can see from the photo, it was a constant struggle trying to dry clothes in the humid and very rainy tropics.

And rain it did. This was quite the downpour. It rained for at least a few minutes every day we were there, some days multiple times, and sometimes for hours.

This is how we often saw anoles at nightAnolis transversalis

I’m calling this a pink toe tarantula

I should have taken more pics of this snake that Matt somehow spotted weaved in a pile of branches after 2 of us had walked right by.Epicrates cenchria- Rainbow boa

Osteocephalus yasuni?

Along a pond margin we saw a few of these calling. It was a real treat to see these in the wild. This was the first one:

Followed by one a little closer to the groundPhyllomedusa bicolor- Giant Monkey Frog

Also near the pond was another calling monkey frogPhyllomedusa vaillanti- Vaillant's Monkey frog

I could probably do a whole post with variations of Dendropsophus leucophyllatus and triangulum but here are just a couple moreClown Treefrogs

Try to id this one-lol

I never did got a good picture of these as they would tear ass up the trees when we spotted themPlica plica- Tree Runner

Ameiva ameiva

This frog had some of the best camouflage I have ever seen. Can you find it?

Here it is

And its bright ventorEdolorhina perezi

I walked up on a tarantula hawk trying to subdue its prey. It eventually dragged the spider into its burrow, after chasing us off when we got too close with our cameras

A dart frog mimic:Leptodactylus (Lithodytes) lineatus - Antnest frog

I had this frog mis-ided as pentadactylus until I got home and took a closer lookLeptodactylus stenodema

Neusticurus ecpleopus- Streamside Lizard

Another Rhinella margaritifera complex- Crested Toad

My friend found this on a solo night hike and brought it back to show us. These are pics taken upon releaseImantodes cenchoa- Blunt headed tree snake

We saw a few of these monster treefrogs bellowing along the river’s edge

This pic would have been awesome if he was turned back toward me just a little moreHypsiboas boans - Gladiator Treefrog

This guy was spotlighted from the boat along the river's edgeCorallus hortulanus- Amazon tree boa

We lost a couple of these before I was able to snag a picture of this oneHypsiboas fasciatus

My friend and I got lost following the calls of these frogs into the forest on our last night there. I imagine we would have made it out eventually but thankfully the gps worked despite the dense canopy cover. I’m glad I had marked the lodge when we first arrived. It was worth the few minutes of fear though because we hadn’t seen this species in the field yet, only some specimens the locals brought in.Hypsiboas cinerascens (granosa)

I love the long antennae on this insect

I was really hoping to find an aquatic coral snake on this trip. Matt had seen them on his previous 4 trips so it seemed like a good prospect. One of the locals brought one in so it only fueled my desire more. We were nearing the camp on our very last hike on the very last night and I thought my coral snake curse was plaguing me once again. We had given up hope for any more snakes when this was seen glowing in the middle of the trail. Not the surinamensis I was hoping for, but a less commonly seen species and good enough prize for me.Micrurus lemniscatus- Ribbon Coral Snake

Also at the eleventh hour, Matt found this beauty on the trail near the campPsuedoboa coronata

I have tons more photos but that paints a pretty good picture of our trip. Hopefully Matt will post some of his photos as well. Matt and Lorrie were great leaders and made this trip a huge success and tons of fun. We may not have seen as many snakes as they normally do, but I think we did very well overall. I hope I can make it back down to the Amazon again. For those keeping score at home, here is our species list that our immediate group found. There were an additional 15-20 species not listed that were either brought in by the locals or found by the guides when they were off on their own.

I got a good laugh at this- Thanks. It can be yours, they do a couple herp trips a year!

Mike Pingleton wrote:

Great post! I'm envious of the things you found that I missed on my trip (including the sloth!).

very cool.

Mike

Your post from your trip is one of the reasons I went on this trip- so Thank you!

jimoo- Will send a PM shortly

IndigoBlue wrote:

Amazing post!!! Just a suggestion. Would you mind listing the common names so people like myself do not have to look up every single individual to find out what the animal is. I do not go by scientific names as they change way too often so it would be nice to list both the scientific and common names.

Done. at least the ones I know. I would have to look up the others as well. Some of them are "generic" common names that refer to a few similiar species. Latin names may change often, but common names can change based on location, so they dont always work either. And some of the common names are what I call made up names- names given by a single person just for the sake of having a common name even if it is not widely known as that.

Rags wrote:

Any more to come?

Rags.

I have a lot more pics, but these are the best of the group. If you want more pics of any specific species, I'll see what I can do.

Thank you to everyone for all the kind words! I enjoyed making this post so I could relive the trip as well. The amazon is a spectacular place, and I cant wait to make it down there again.

I don't have much to say here other than what has been said already (amazing, fantastic, incredible, etc. ), but I did "like" on Facebook so more people (even non-herpers) would look at it. That's only the second time on all of FHF that I've "liked" a post.

Super post, and thanx for taking the time to put the material together.Lorrie, Devon and I want to say thanx again for traveling with us. Satisfaction is our primary aim.

For those who asked--yes, there will be additional herp photography trips this year, next year and beyond. Also tropical fish collecting trips, birding trips, etc.Check us out at http://www.amazon-ecotours.com.

Wow, great post!!!! I really enjoyed going through and as you say "reliving it". You got some great shots. It was great getting to know you guys. We laughed, we cried, we got wet, and we saw some really cool stuff. Hope to see you again somewhere.

I will put a post up sometime, I have been too busy to get one up yet.

Really fantastic post! You brought back some good memories of the trip I had taken to the Peruvian Amazon - the motor bike "carriages" are something else aren't they?! haha

Looks like you had an amazing trip with a lot of great finds - some really interesting amphibian species! I love the Dipsas, Oxyrhopus, and Ammies though! The Mata-mata is some find! And the Pipa pipa really makes for a creepy photo - like the Edward Scissor-hands of the frog world!

This is so good. I'm so pumped for my trip down there, leaving 3 weeks from yesterday. You saw a ton of the stuff that I would like to find. I plan on getting little sleep so that I can go out each night and find some good stuff. Although I'm going down to Manu, so it'll be a bit different from up that way. Great post, I like it when people give you the backstory on each photo.

This is so good. I'm so pumped for my trip down there, leaving 3 weeks from yesterday. You saw a ton of the stuff that I would like to find. I plan on getting little sleep so that I can go out each night and find some good stuff. Although I'm going down to Manu, so it'll be a bit different from up that way. Great post, I like it when people give you the backstory on each photo.

The night time definitely seems like the best time to spend most of your efforts. Can't wait to see a post from your trip! Good luck. If you dont have it already, Cusco Amazonico by Duellman is a great book that I wish I had perused before going down.

Asnyder wrote:

Fantastic post! Really has me itching to get back down to Guyana very soon.

As for your tiny frog on your finger, I'm very inclined to say its a juvenile Adenomera but can't be certain without other pics of it. Do you have any other shots of the Osteocephalus?

Andrew

Thanks! I was thinking the tiny frog was some juvy Eleuthrodactylus but could easily be an Adenomera. If you are referring to my Osteocephalus yasuni with a "?", unfortunately I do not have any pics showing any other angle.

SnakeDude wrote:

is the boa constrictor hit, or just randomly bleeding from it's head???

Yeah it was hit, but appeared to be doing ok. It was moving around not showing any distress. Hopefully it is still out there somewhere.nice shots, i would love to go there someday -Ian

Nice! A little bit old topic, but I would like to ask where did you find the Helicops? Inside water I believe, but in river, stream or stagnant pool water? How did it behaves when you aproaches next to it? thanks

We saw a few of them: one road cruised, one in a man made pond, one in a shallow backwater area of a stream, and one in floating vegetation on the edge of a river. It seemed they could be found in/near all types of wetlands.

We saw a few of them: one road cruised, one in a man made pond, one in a shallow backwater area of a stream, and one in floating vegetation on the edge of a river. It seemed they could be found in/near all types of wetlands.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 36 guests

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum